turnip
B1Neutral to informal. Formal in botanical/agricultural contexts.
Definition
Meaning
A round, white or yellow root vegetable with a purple, white, or greenish top, eaten as a vegetable.
1. The plant (Brassica rapa) that produces this root. 2. (Informal, chiefly British) A large, old-fashioned pocket watch. 3. (Informal) Something or someone considered dull, uninteresting, or foolish.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a countable noun referring to the vegetable. The informal watch meaning is dated British slang. The 'dull thing/person' meaning is derogatory and informal.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The vegetable is common in both cuisines but features more prominently in traditional British and Irish cooking (e.g., mashed with potatoes as 'neeps' in Scotland). The slang for a pocket watch is exclusively British.
Connotations
In the UK, can have rustic, traditional, or sometimes humble/peasant food connotations. In the US, it is a standard root vegetable, sometimes associated with fall harvests.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in UK English due to culinary tradition. The word is universally understood.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
grow [turnips]harvest [the turnips]peel [a turnip]mash [the turnips]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[as] easy as pulling a turnip from soft ground (rare, informal)”
- “not worth a turnip (archaic, meaning worthless)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except in agricultural commodity trading.
Academic
Used in botany, agriculture, culinary history, and literature.
Everyday
Common in cooking, shopping, and gardening contexts.
Technical
Specific in botany (Brassica rapa subsp. rapa) and horticulture.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The farmer will turnip the south field next spring. (Rare, dialectal: to plant with turnips)
American English
- (No common verb use in AmE)
adverb
British English
- (No common adverb use)
American English
- (No common adverb use)
adjective
British English
- (No common adjective use)
American English
- (No common adjective use)
Examples
By CEFR Level
- We bought a turnip at the market.
- The turnip is white and round.
- Could you peel and chop the turnip for the stew?
- Turnips are often roasted with other winter vegetables.
- The recipe calls for the turnip to be puréed with a touch of cream and nutmeg.
- Despite its humble reputation, a well-prepared turnip can be surprisingly delicious.
- The agricultural report indicated a surplus of turnips, depressing market prices.
- His grandfather still carried that antique turnip of a watch, its brass case worn smooth.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine you TURN a giant IP (Internet Protocol) address shaped like a round, purple-topped vegetable. You 'turn-ip' the soil to harvest it.
Conceptual Metaphor
DULLNESS/STUPIDITY (e.g., 'He's a bit of a turnip'), HUMBLE SUSTENANCE (e.g., 'living on turnips and potatoes').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'репа' (repa), which is a different, smaller root vegetable. The closer Russian equivalent for the common large yellow turnip/swede is 'брюква' (bryukva).
Common Mistakes
- Confusing 'turnip' with 'swede/rutabaga' (a larger, yellow-fleshed relative). Using 'turnip' as a mass noun (e.g., 'I like turnip') is less common than specifying (e.g., 'I like turnips' or 'mashed turnip').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'turnip' used as dated British slang?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Turnips (Brassica rapa) are generally smaller, white-fleshed, and have a sharper taste. Swedes/rutabagas (Brassica napus) are larger, yellow-fleshed, sweeter, and have a thicker, waxier skin.
Yes, the leafy green tops of turnips are edible and nutritious, often cooked similarly to spinach or collard greens.
Very rarely and only in specific dialects (e.g., UK farming), meaning to plant a field with turnips. It is not standard modern usage.
It metaphorically associates the person with the vegetable's perceived qualities: dull, lumpen, rustic, or simple. It's a mild, informal insult.